1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to personal care absorbent articles, such as child training pants, disposable diapers, adult incontinence garments and the like, having a structure adapted to expand to form a support channel when a wearer of the personal care absorbent article is in a sitting position. More particularly, this invention relates to a structure having an expandable element which expands to form the support channel when a compressible element hingedly connected thereto is compressed.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional personal care absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers and child training pants, employ an absorbent layer positioned between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impervious backsheet to absorb body exudates. These articles typically have elasticized waistbands and legbands to help contain the body exudates and prevent leakage. However, many conventional personal care absorbent articles are not completely leak free.
To help prevent undesirable leakage, some conventional personal care absorbent articles may have compression resistant containment dams which are configured to inhibit the longitudinal flow of fecal material along a surface of the absorbent article contacting the wearer""s skin. Such containment dams are positioned within the article so that when the wearer is in a sitting position, the containment dam is positioned along a line where the wearer""s buttocks depart from the flat sitting surface.
Other conventional personal care absorbent articles may have an elevating device which provides a spacing between the topsheet and the absorbent layer. The topsheet has an opening and the absorbent layer has a hole to receive and isolate body exudates away from the wearer.
Notwithstanding improvements that have been made, leakage continues to be a problem. Accordingly, there remains a need for personal care absorbent articles which satisfactorily receive and contain body exudates without leakage.
In response to the discussed difficulties and problems encountered in the prior art, a structure for use in personal care absorbent articles has been discovered which facilitates fecal transport and containment and, in so doing, reduces the potential for leakage.
The disposable absorbent article has an absorbent chassis which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region intermediate to and interconnecting the front waist region and the back waist region. The absorbent chassis includes a rectangular composite structure having a backsheet, a topsheet which is connected to the backsheet in a superposed relation, and an absorbent layer which is located between the backsheet and the topsheet.
A structure is disposed within the crotch region which is suitable for opening a support channel adjacent the gluteal fold of the wearer. Desirably, the structure is positioned between the topsheet and the wearer. The structure comprises an expandable element hingedly connected to a compressible element so that when the compressible element is compressed, typically when the wearer is in a sitting position, the expandable element expands to form the support channel.
When the training pant or the personal care absorbent article is positioned properly on the wearer, the compressible element is positioned adjacent an ischia area corresponding to at least one ischium. The term xe2x80x9cischiumxe2x80x9d refers to a lower portion of an innominate bone, generally on which the body rests when in a sitting position. When the wearer is in a sitting position, the expandable element is adjacent a target area, and desirably the support channel lies along a longitudinal centerline of the training pant adjacent the gluteal fold. In an expanded configuration, the support channel provides sufficient void space for fecal transport and containment. In one embodiment, a plurality of rib extensions extend transversely across the gluteal fold to form a frame which applies a pressure sufficient to separate the buttocks as the expandable element expands to form the support channel.
The structure is one which is generally resiliently deformable so that it returns to its original shape after the deforming force is removed. Desirably, the structure is a polymer having a high material memory to allow the structure to recover its original configuration. Further, the expandable element must have sufficient strength to withstand the compression force exerted by the ischia area and to separate the buttocks to form the void space and/or support channel for fecal transport and containment. At least a portion of the structure may be covered with a cover material to provide softness and comfort to the absorbent chassis.